Many people were left without a home and at least one person was injured following a fire at a townhouse in Dickinson on Wednesday morning.

Dickinson Fire Chief Robert Sivak said firefighters were called to the 1300 block of Sims Street around 6:38 a.m. for a fire at a townhouse. The department responded with five apparatuses and 28 firefighters. The fire was under control by 8:16 a.m., Sivak said.

Sivak said the cause of the fire may have been accidental, but as of Wednesday afternoon, he did not know the specifics of what caused the blaze.

"We are pretty sure from the information that we have so far that it was accidental," Sivak said. "As far as actual particulars, we don't have that all pinned down yet."

The building involved included six individual dwelling units, which are similar to townhouses or condos that are aligned next to one another. Sivak said fire damage was extensive to two of the units, and there was smoke damage throughout. All tenants have been displaced, Sivak said.

Sivak said there was one injury, but he was not aware of the extent of the person's injuries as of Wednesday afternoon. One individual was treated for smoke inhalation; Sivak said he was not aware of that individual's status.

Sivak said the American Red Cross was quick to respond to help the displaced families.

"The Red Cross was there, literally immediately," Sivak said. "They did a great job. They set up in one of the adjacent hotels, and they were working with people as we were fighting the fire.

Gretchen Hjelmstad, a spokesperson for the Red Cross, said two Red Cross volunteers responded to the fire.

The Red Cross provided immediate assistance to three families, seven adults and three children in total. They provided financial assistance to help cover the costs of emergency lodging, food and clothing, Hjelmstad said.

Sydney Mook has been covering higher education at the Grand Forks Herald since May 2018. She previously served as the multimedia editor and cops, courts and health reporter at the Dickinson Press from January 2016 to May 2018. She graduated from the University of South Dakota with a bachelor's degree in journalism and political science in three and half years in December 2015. While at the USD, she worked for the campus newspaper, The Volante, as well as the television news show, Coyote News. She also interned at South Dakota Public Broadcasting and spent the summer before her senior year interning in Fort Knox for the ROTC Cadet Summer Training program. In her spare time, Sydney enjoys cheering on the New York Yankees and the Kentucky Wildcats, as well as playing golf. If you've got an idea for a video be sure to give her a call!